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W. W. SCHUBERT.

TIMER} APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1919.

1,340,121. Patented May11,1920

gnvwfl'oz W.W. E1 chub art rm TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. SCHUBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIMER.

Specification of Letters fatent. Patented hiay 11, 1920.

Application filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,382.

breaking the electrical current of the spark plugs in proper order. I

The principal objects of my invention are, first to provide a timerwhich is compact, readily assembled, or dismembered, per mitting of thereplacing of worn parts with ease, and in general simplifying theconstruction and manufacture of the timer, permitting it to be vended ata comparatively low cost; second, to provide a timer in which the ringof insulating material carrying spaced contacts is held more accuratelyand securely in substantial axial alinement with the drive shaft of therotor and permitting a person not necessarily skilled in the art toreplace a worn ring or worn contacts without danger of excessive wearwhich might result where the cooperation of parts is such as to notpermit accurate replacement of the contact carrying ring with respect tothe rotor axis; third, to provide an improved rotor, the contact ofwhich is permitted to more readily accomodate itself to the contour ofthe insulating ring and contacts which are normally stationary; and,fourth, to provide a rotor con tact and stationary contacts, incombination the latter being embedded in a ring of insulating materialand the contacts so proportioned that the rotor contact in itssuccessive movement over the contacts as well as over the ring willremain in continuous contact with the ring to prevent'chipping of theinsulator and contacts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification; and in whichdrawing:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional View throu h a timerconstructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking in the direction of the hollow of thehousing.

Fig. 3 is an elevation viewed from the op- I posite side of the timer. 1

In the drawings, Where similar characters refer to similar partsthroughout the views, A designates a housing which may be made of metal;B a stator contact assembly; C, means for securing assembly B inoperative relation to housing A; D a drive shaft which may be driven inthe usualmanner at a predetermined speed ratio, from the crank shaft ofan engine, and E a rotor.

Referring first to the housing A, it is preferred to form the same ofmetal, with a hollow cylindrical portion 4 closed at one end by a wall 5provided with arecess 6 at its exterior, axially alined with the axis ofcylindrical portion 4:, this recess to receive the usual lug of thespring used to hold the housing in operative relation to the engine,said lug and spring not being shown in the drawing. In the preferredembodiment of the invention, the wall 5 is annular in shape and providedwith a trunco-conical shell portion 7, the recess 6 being formed in theend portion of portion 7. For a purpose to be subsequently set forth,the inner face 8 of wall 5 is in a plane at right angles to the axis ofcylindrical portion 4, and the wall is provided with a plurality ofsymmetrically disposed transverse ways 9, spaced a suitable distancefrom the shell portion 7 As to the stator contact assembly, it comprisesa ring 10 of insulating material such as bone gray hardened fiber and ispreferably of disk like shape with its faces 11 and 12 substantiallyparallel; a plurality of contact heads 13, and stems 14 extendingtherefrom. In the example shown, the contacts 13 are of elongatedarcuate shape, and disposed in arcuate spaced-apart recesses 15,symmetrically about the axis of the ring and substantially flush withthe face 11 of the ring. The stems 14: extend through ways 16transversely of the ring, and open to recesses 15 and the opposite face12 of the ring. When placing the assembly B into 17 extends into theways 9 and have flanges 18 to overlie the exterior face of walls 5 asclearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

With the assembly B thus in place, it is to be observed that the face 12is in surlace contact with the face 8 of wall 5, and it is preferred tomachine the face 8 so that it is in a plane at a right angle to axis ofcylindrical portion 4: and to shape the ring 10 so that the faces 11 and12 are substantially parallel.

The means C may comprise nuts 19 in screw-threaded engagement with thestems l4, turned tight against the bushings 17, so as to draw the ring10 with its face 12 in intimate contact with the face 8 of wall 5. Thumbnuts 20 may also be provided on stems 1 1 and thus the nuts 19 and 20,in combination with the stems 14 serve as binding posts for the usualelectric conductors.

Referring to the rotor E it comprises a main body portion 21 includingan arm 22 extending from sleeve like portions 23 disposed about thedrive shaft D and rotatable therewith as through pin 2%; a truncoconicalshell 25, with its base rigid with main body portion 21, and its hollow26 confronting the assembly B; a cylindrical hollow contact 27 providedwith a wall 28 for engagement with the ring 10 and con tacts 13, thecontact 27 telescoping shell as by engaging over the tapering portion ofthe shell as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and an expansionspring 29 in the hollows of shell 25 and contact 2'7, said spring urgingthe contact 27 into intimate contact with the ring 10 and contacts 13.

t is preferred to make contacts 28 of a diameter greater than the widthof contacts 13, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, sothat as the rotor moves, this contact will, at all times, slide 011 someportion of the hardened fiber ring 10 and at both sides of the contact13 as contact 27 is passed thereover so that it will not wear away thefiber or contact in such a way as to meet with an abutment at the endportion of the contact as might result where the rotor contact isrelatively smaller than the width or" the stator contacts.

The housing A, in the example shown is provided with a suitableoperating arm 30, the function of which is well understood by thoseskilled in the art. 7

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of my invention; but,

I claim:

In a timer, the combination with a plurality of contacts in spacedinsulated relation about a common axis, of a rotor around said axiscomprising a main body portion, a trunco-conical shell portion with itsbase rigid with the main body portion and its hollow shell portionconfronting said contacts, a cylindrical hollow contact provided with awall for engagement with said first mentioned contacts and telescopingsaid shell of said rotor, and an expansion spring in the hollows of saidtrunc'o-conical shell and said cylindrical contact ur ing the latterinto engagement with said contacts one at a time as the rotor is moved.

WILLIAM W. SCHUBERT.

